MLB Betting Preview

Boston Red Sox (66-42) at Seattle Mariners (59-47)

Friday, 10:05 pm Eastern

Opening Line: Red Sox -112, Total 9.5 flat

The Boston Red Sox will look to continue their winning ways with Jon Lester on the mound as they face the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.  Lester is 1-0 with an ERA of 4.26 this season and the Red Sox are 2-0 in his starts this season.  He was good in his last start against Tampa Bay going 6 2/3 innings giving up four runs and six hits.  "This may not have been as good as the first one or what I wanted, but I'm still happy with it," he said.

Boston now has a setup man in the bullpen for Jonathan Papelbon as Eric Gagne is now with the Red Sox and he pitched an inning in Thursday’s win. "I envision him pitching a lot of innings of importance," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I thought it was a good time for his first. This guy's pitched a lot of games, but it was a nice way to get him in a Red Sox uniform."

The Red Sox are -112 favorites with a total of 9.5 Under (-115) .

The Red Sox have lost their last eight games in Seattle. They face Horacio Ramirez on Friday.  He is 6-3 but has a high ERA of 6.52.  He pitched well enough to win in his last start against the A’s but got no run support.  Ramirez is 6-0 at home with a 2.63 ERA but 0-3 on the road with an ERA over 13. Ramirez hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in any home start. "The difference is, at home, I'm making a pitch in a big situation," Ramirez said.

Ramirez gave up seven runs and 11 hits in four innings in a road start at Boston earlier this season. Lester did not get a decision in his only career start against the Mariners, giving up five runs in five innings of Boston's 9-8 loss at Seattle on July 23, 2006.

The Mariners should get Richie Sexson back in the lineup with a lefty going for Boston on Friday.  Sexson is in a 1-17 slump and has been booed by the home fans lately.  He still leads the team with 17 home runs. "I'm not going to say Richie's a platoon player, in any stretch of the imagination," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "But it's been four months. He needs to get going ... we need him to pick it up. He's disappointed. We've had some talks."

The Red Sox are 9-3 in their last 12 overall. The Red Sox are 5-2 in their last 7 road games. The Red Sox are 18-8 in their last 26 games as a road favorite. The Red Sox are 3-7 in their last 10 vs. a team with a winning record. The Red Sox are 8-20 in their last 28 road games vs. a left-handed starter. The Red Sox are 3-8 in their last 11 vs. the American League West. The Red Sox are 4-1 in Lester's last 5 starts. The Red Sox are 6-2 in Lester's last 8 road starts. The Red Sox are 1-4 in Lester's last 5 starts vs. the American League West. The Red Sox are 8-21 in the last 29 meetings in Seattle.

The Mariners are 5-1 in their last 6 overall. The Mariners are 20-6 in their last 26 games vs. a left-handed starter. The Mariners are 9-3 in their last 12 vs. the American League East. The Mariners are 23-8 in their last 31 home games. The Mariners are 20-7 in their last 27 home games vs. a left-handed starter. The Mariners are 1-6 in their last 7 games as an underdog. The Mariners are 6-0 in Ramirez's last 6 home starts.

The Under is 5-0 in the Red Sox last 5 vs. the American League West. The Under is 4-1 in the Red Sox last 5 games as a favorite. The Under is 26-10-1 in the Red Sox last 37 games as a road favorite. The Over is 7-3 in the Red Sox last 10 Friday games. The Over is 5-0-2 in Lester's last 7 starts as a favorite. The Over is 5-1-3 in Lester's last 9 starts overall. The Under is 4-0 in the Mariners last 4 games as an underdog. The Under is 4-1-2 in Mariners last 7 Friday games. The Under is 5-2 in the Mariners last 7 vs. the American League East. The Under is 5-2 in the Mariners last 7 home games. The Under is 10-4 in the Mariners last 14 overall. The Over is 6-1 in Ramirez's last 7 starts as an underdog. The Over is 8-3 in Ramirez's last 11 starts overall.